Vietnam holiday‑contract fraud crackdown prompts victims to seek refunds

Hanoi police have launched a major operation against illegal "holiday‑contract" schemes. Investigators opened 21 cases at 23 companies, charging 187 suspects and identifying nearly 500 victims who lost more than 181 billion VND. The scams sold long‑term vacation‑ownership contracts, often priced from a few hundred million to nearly a billion dong, promising free trips, investment returns and easy resale. Many victims were senior citizens who were lured by free‑consultation seminars and persistent phone calls, paid large upfront sums, and later faced pressure to make additional payments or take costly loans to keep the contracts alive.

Several victims have recently been approached by the same companies offering to return up to 90 % of the money they paid after years of disputes. One grandmother in Hanoi, who had signed more than ten contracts totalling over 2 billion VND, was contacted to recover part of her investment. Another 71‑year‑old woman from Hưng Yên recounts paying over 123 million VND to the ALMA company before realizing the terms differed from the promotional material. Authorities warn that the schemes often involve a second‑hand brokerage layer that convinces customers to pay extra fees to resell the contracts, further deepening the loss.

The police have seized the fraudulent contracts and urge victims to pursue legal channels rather than informal refund offers, stressing the need for official investigations to protect consumer rights.